Raines stared at both Sydney and Lyle, and took note of the fact that Lyle was avoiding eye contact. He turned toward the doctor.

"Well, Sydney?"

Shoving down his overwhelming anger, the psychiatrist met the fish-eyed stare with as even a tone as he could muster. "I hardly see that I have a choice in this matter."

Raines smiled. "I knew you'd be reasonable once you understood the circumstances."

"There's nothing reasonable about any of this...but let's just get on with it."

"I want you to contact Jarod--"

"--What makes you think I can do that?"

Raines positioned his DSA monitor so that Sydney could see it, and pressed a button on the keyboard. The images of Jarod speaking with Sydney in his house from the night before sprang to life, and Sydney felt a white hot anger filling his chest.

"You planted cameras in my house? How dare you, Raines--"

"--No, doctor, how dare you. How many other times has Jarod contacted you and you haven't reported it? Not only didn't you report this contact, but you also advised him to disappear permanently."

And Sydney knew for a fact that he was dead where he stood; the Triumvirate would surely have charged Raines with that task upon seeing a copy of the footage from his conversation with his protégée. Unable to keep his fear hidden, Sydney ran a hand through his hair, and Raines smiled.

"I see you understand the gravity of your actions."

Sydney looked directly at the man. "I understand that my life is forfeit, yes; that is not my concern now."

Raines leaned back in his chair, his hands folded demurely on top of his desk. "I'm listening."

"What I want is a guarantee regarding Miss Parker if I bring in Jarod."

Raines glanced over at Lyle, who had been unusually quiet throughout the exchange. "Mr. Lyle?"

Lyle looked nervously back at Sydney, who calmly remained still, then he licked his lips and gazed at Raines. "I...see no reason to kill Miss Parker as long as she can be reconditioned."

Sydney interrupted, "No, that isn't acceptable. You get Jarod, but you let her go. She walks away from the Centre, free and clear. And for that matter, so does Broots and his daughter."

Raines couldn't help but admire the man's moxie despite the odds stacked against him, and there was no reason to let on that he had no intention of making good on any promise made during this meeting. He smiled at the psychiatrist. "Very well, Sydney. After Jarod is here, we'll let Miss Parker go."

Sydney shook his head. "No. Once you have Jarod, there will be no reason for you to let Miss Parker go."

"The same can be said of you bringing in Jarod if we let Miss Parker go first." The man took a long rasping breath before continuing, "I assume you have a suggestion?"

Sydney nodded. "The exchange will take place simultaneously."

Lyle broke in, "Then Jarod will know he's about to be taken, he'll never go for it."

"I'll have to set up a meeting place with him that's in public either way, Lyle, or he'll never agree to come. I'll set it up for a park nearby, and when you see him walking towards me, you let Miss Parker go, by then it'll be too late for Jarod because he'll be in plain view of the Sweepers."

Raines thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "That will be acceptable."

"Broots and his daughter will also be allowed to leave, with no Centre interference."

"That's fine, Sydney, I doubt we'll miss Mr. Broots in any case." Sydney inwardly shook his head at the man's gross underestimate of Broots' value to the Centre, but he said nothing. "Mr. Lyle will escort you to your office so that you can contact Jarod and set up a meeting for tomorrow morning, then he'll take you back to Miss Parker, where you'll stay until it's time to leave."

"I don't know if I can set this up that quickly...the only way I can contact Jarod is through email, and he doesn't always answer right away."

"Fine, email him, we'll monitor it for a response. Lyle, make sure he says nothing more than he needs to in it." Lyle and Sydney headed toward the door, "And Sydney, make no mistake: if you do anything to tip Jarod off, I'll kill both of them. Do you understand?"

Sydney's lips pulled into a tight line, and he nodded. "I understand. No tricks, Raines; from either of us."

Raines watched as Lyle escorted Sydney out of the room, and a large smile spread across his face. It had finally come to pass; not only was he going to be rid of both Sydney and the Parkers, but he was going to have Jarod back in the bargain. Life didn't get much better for William Raines than it was at this moment.